Toby Fox adds a certain playful touch to almost all of his work. Now we know his articles are no different. In his latest installment of his monthly column for Famitsu“Toby Fox’s Secret Base” creator first did games journalism and interviewed the elusive creator of the indie cult hit Yume Nikki, Kikiyama. The interview is both bizarre and delightful — Fox only asked yes or no questions — and is definitely worth a quick read for anyone who wants a good laugh.
The introduction to the interview begins quite normally. Fox, which primarily developed great indie classics like Subtitle and Deltarunereflects on the lasting impact of Yume Nikki. For those who don’t know, Yume Nikki is a dreamy, ethereal RPG from 2004. The game, which has no combat, character levels, or super-clear story, garnered a cult following for its unique artistic vision. Its mysterious creator, who goes by the name Kikiyama, had never given an interview until earlier this week when they spoke to Fox.
As Fox explains, he didn’t think Kikiyama would talk to him, but put some restrictions on the interview to try to make it more accessible to the developer. To begin with, Fox only asked yes or no questions. Additionally, Kikiyama was able to choose the number of questions Fox asked. In the interview, Fox himself recounts his thought process between Kikiyama’s one-word responses.
A good chunk comes in when Fox primarily wants to know if Kikiyama likes to create small characters as well. Here is the section, which was translated by Table of Twitter usersfull :
#4 Did you often draw creatures and scenes in the style of Yume Nikki before creating the game?
Why I asked this question: I used to draw weird creatures all the time in class. To me, Yume Nikki’s art looked like something you would think of at school or work and scribble in the corner of a notebook. (in the right direction.)
Answer: Yes.
Toby’s response to the answer: I knew it!! I knew you were that kind of person. Well, I’ll ask for another one then, I’m sure you’ve already drawn something other than creatures…
We get a few more informative items. At one point, Fox asks if Kikiyama performed Dream Emulator LSD by Osamu Sato, which was an early era PlayStation game where you could roam through a series of trippy and surreal environments. Kikiyama said yes, so it’s possible that this influenced the creation of Nikki. Also, at the end, the only unanswered question in a yes or no format tells us what Denny’s command from Kikiyama would be.
It’s clumsy. It’s funny. And that’s definitely a lot of Toby Fox. You can read the full version in English on the translator’s website.
